Corn-harvester



6 Sheets-Sheet 1r G. .MEADEE CORN HARVESTER.

Patented Oct. 13, 1891. ulgymii'l'ninm I #511111 (No Model.)

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G MEADER CORN HARVESTER.

No. 461,246. Patented Oct. 13, 1891.

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G. MBA-DER. CORN HARVESTER.

Patented Oczt. 13, 1891.

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G. MBADER. GORN HARVESTER.'

110.461,246. Patented Oct. 13, 1891.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 6. G MEADER CORN HARVESTER.

lPatented Oct. 13, 1891-.

v UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.-

GEORGE MEADER, OF FOVLER, INDIANA.

CORN-HARVESTER.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,246, dated October 13,-1891.

Application led June l0, 1889.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it` known that I, GEORGE MEADEE, of Fowler, in the county of Benton and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn Harvester-s, of which the following is a full description, reference being had to the accompanying' drawings, in which- Figure 1 isa plan view. Fig. 1a shows the gathering devicesl which are broken away from Fig. 1; Fig. 2, a left-hand side elevation; Fig. 3ra rear elevation; Fig. 4, a righ-thand side elevation; Fig. 5, a rear sectional View of certain parts of the machine as if cut on the line X of Fig. l; Fig. 6, a sectional view of certain parts as if out on the line Y y Y of Fig. 1; Fig. 7, a rear sectional view as if cut on the line Z Z of Fig. 1; Fig. 8, a detail of the forward end of the picking-rollers and adjacent parts; Fig. 9, a detailof the double sprocket-wheel forming part of the gathering device. Fig. 10 is a sectional view of a detail. Fig. 11 is a vertical transverse section through the beam A2 and the parts supported thereby on the line 11 1l of Fig. 4.

The object of my invention is to produce a machine that may be drawn through the ield to pick the ears from the stalks and deliver them into a wagon drawn alongside thereof.

The parts lettered A constitute the main frame. Bis the axle journaled in suitable bearings in the main frame and having the wheels B clutched to the axle by means of ratchets and pawls. A and A2 are portions of the main frame which support the gathering and picking devices.

C and C are the picking-rollers, journaled in bearings C2 and C4 upon the sill A3 at the rear end, and at the front end journaled in the bearings C4. These bearings are secured to the sills by means of bolts P. These rollers are provided at their rear ends with sprocketwheels C5 and C6. C7 is achain adapted to run around thewheel Cand beneath the Wheel C5. The movement of this chain C7 in the direction indicated by the arrow will give the rollers an inward and downward rotation. On each side of the picking-rollers and above the same I arrange inclined upright boards L L,which extend longitudinally of the beams A vA2 and are sustained above the same by standards a a.

Each of the standards ,is

Serial No. 313,709. (No model.)

bolted at its upper end to the outside of the boards L L whence it extends downward and is bent outward horizontally at its lower end.

The horizontal portions are seated upon the horizontal portions of brackets s s', which are in turn seated upon the horizontal ends of standards P P', hereinafter referred to, which latter are seated upon the beams A A2 and secured by means of boltsS S,passingthrough the horizontal ends of the standards and intermediate bracket and the beams. The up'- per ends of the brackets s s arel bent laterally inward and support plates S2 S3, extending longitudinally of the boards L L a't their inside along theloweredge. These plates are for the purpose of supporting chains F F hereinafter described. At their rear ends the boards L L are sustained by standards S5, (similar to the forward standards) which are seated upon brackets S7, (similar to the forward brackets) the upper ends of which sustain the rear ends of the plates S2 S3. The standards S5 are seated at their lower ends upon the lowerends of the brackets S7, both ot which are secured upon the beams by bolts l picking-rollers.

D is a draft-tongue pivoted at D. D2 is a tilting-lever having a latch adapted to engage tilting-lever with the draft-tongue. By movement of this lever the whole machine may be tilted, and thus the angle of the rollers relative to the horizon may be changed at will,

thus adapting the rollers to engage the stalks at a high or low point, as required. It is desirable at all times to engage the stalks no nearer to the butts than is absolutely necessary to cut off the ears, as by so doing the labor of passing the butt or heavy end of the stalk through the rollers is avoided.

For the purpose of gathering the stalksinto the machine I provide the toothed chains E and E', fiarin g forward and outward from the point where the stalks enter a channel formed by the bars E2 and E3. These bars extend from a point a short distance in rear of the forward ends of the picking-rollers forward and terminate in advance of the chains F F', at which point they flare outward. They aresustained by means of standards PP', before y the quadrant D2. D4 is a link connecting the 1 IOO referred to, which have their bases slotted transversely of the beams to which they are secured by vertical bolts S S. Under this construction the bars may be adjusted nearer together or farther apart, according as the nature and condition of the corn may demand. The chains E E are thrust around the sprocket-wheels E4 and E5 and around sprocketwheels E6 and E7. Motion is imparted to these ch ains by means of other toothed chains F and F. made double, as shown in Fig. 9, and the chains F and F are upon the lower part of the double wheels. Theyare also provided with teeth sufficiently long to reach so nearly across the slot formed by the bars E2 and E3 'as to convey all stalks rearward that are the board, so ,that the teeth will be projected in an active position beyond them.

G4 is a chain thrown around the sprocketwheel G3 and behind the sprocket-wheel G2, and extending to the left and around the sprocket-wheel G5. The sprocket-wheel G5 is keyed to a short vertical shaft, havingthe pinion G6 at its lower end adapted to mesh into the bevel-gear G7 upon the shaft G8, which is clutched to it by the usual clutching mechanism. The shaft G8 is provided with the pinion G9, which is driven by the main gear G10 on theaxle.

It will thus be seen that by the rotation of the above-described gearing motion is irnf parted to the gatheringchains E and E', F

and F'. Y. f

Upon the shaft Gs is a sprocket-wheel G, around which is thrown the chain C7. By means of this sprocket-wheel rotation is given to the picking-rollers. The latter (the rollers) are constructed as shown in Fig. 7, being substantially cylindrical and having plates l, 2, and 3, which are let into the rollers their depth at the foremost side relative to their movement, but permitted to project some distance at the other edge. The result of this construction is that the plates have a pinching effect upon the stem, and in attempting to draw it through pulls it from the ears. The bearings for the rollers are so slotted that by loosening the bolts which hold them to the main frame they may be adjusted nearer to or farther from each other, as the circumstances may require. The plates E2 and E3 lie immediately below the gatheringchains and extend rearward to a point beyond the front end of the picking-rollers. 'Ehe said rollers are pointed at their forward extremity, so as to form a space into which The sprocket-wheels E4 and E5 are These rails t extend but a slight distance from the sides of the stalks can be forced, and thus be inade to enter the rollers, the chain continuing to carry the stalks backward while the rollers are drawing them through. When the ears are made to approach the rollers and snapped off, the chains F and F' convey them rearward, while the stalk is carried downward and rearward. Ext-ending to the left from near the rear end of picking rollers are located the parallel cleaning-rollers H and H', journaled at their ends inl suitable bearings secured to parallel beams A3 and A4, extending on eitherside of the husking rollers at the'rear of the machine. [n order to prevent the escape of the ears while they are being operated upon by these huskingrollers,Iprovide upright boards OO', extending longitudinally of the said rollers on each side some distance above them, so that a channel is formed thereover. As shown in Fig. 6, these boards aresustained by brackets o o', extending upwardfrom the beams A3 and A4. Extending laterally from the upper edges of the board O' is a board.

that'the ears may move onward by gravity while the husks are being taken off; but to prevent clogging I provide a toothed chain H, thrown around the sprocket-wheels H7, H8, and H9. I so adapt the front part of the chain that it shall be substantially parallel with the cleaning-rollers and move the ears along in the direction of delivery lwhile they are being operated upon. Motion is imparted -to this chain by the shaft I, upon the top of which is the sprocket-wheel H7.

In order that the gathering and conveying l chains F F may deliver the ears to thehusking-rollers H H', I provide a plate or board N, (shown in Figs. l and 5,) which extends beneath the conveying-chains across the space between them at their delivery end.

IOC

This plate is secured at its edges to the sides of the boards L L', before referred to, and is so arranged that the ears will be pushed by the chains from the picking-rollers upon the board and moved thereon rearward and pushed onto the husking-rollers. The board N serves, as it will be seen, as a support or guide for the ears whilethey are being moved from the picking to the husking rollers.

J is a sprocket-wheel on the rear end of the shaftvGS, and around it and the wheel J' is thrown the chain J 2. upon the shaft J3, it imparts motion to the bevel-wheel J 4, located upon it, and motion is The wheel J', being in turn imparted through the bevel-gear J5 I 4vator-chain is also thrown.

side of al transverse bar J i, which is secured to the under side of the elevator-frame- The shaft J3 is provided with a sprocket-wheel K, adapted to receive the elevator-chain K. K2 is the elevator-spout, suitably braced to the harvester, and having at its -upper end a sprocketwheel K3, around which the eley The said chain is provided with buckets K4, of sufficient width and length-to cause the ears of grain to move upward along the elevator.

I provide a cover for the cleaning-roller H, consisting of rope or strands of rawhide or other suitable material wound around a core of wood or metal, thus giving it a surface which is at once lnade to conform to the roller H', and thus engages the husks with such force as to draw them through.

lt will be observed that the rope is -wound closely on the core with the coils in contact so that the rope entirely covers the same. The surface of the rope-covered core thus presents a series of adjoining ribs or ridges, which peculiarly adapt it for the end in view.

The shafts are suitably mounted in bearings secured to the frame-work, as shown in the drawings. l

M and M are two slight springs secured by bolts to the frame-work immediately above the delivery ends of the cleaning-rollers. They may be made of any thin metal, so as to yield at their lower ends, or they may be hinged and slight springs orgravity be made -f to hold them down, their object being to prevent the ears from passing outluntil they are forced to move beyond them. By these devices the ears are held in position to have the husks operated upon as long as possible.

rlhe operation of the machine is as follows: Being drawn forward, the stalks are gathered inward by the chains E and E', are then seized by the chains F and F and carried rearward and made to enter the rollers, and

convey the ears backward and deliver them onto the cleaning-rollers H and H', along and down which they are carried by the toothed 'chain H6 and delivered into the hopper of the elevator K2, from whence they are carried upward into the wagon.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the wheeled frame, the picking-rollers, the co-operating chain traveling adjacent to the picking-rollers and arranged to convey the detached ears, and the bars E2 and E2, extending longitudinally of the rollers and adj ust-able laterally independently of the chain, substantially as described.

2. The improved husking-roller consisting of a core provided with rope or equivalent material wound closely thereon, whereby the surface presents a seriesof adjoining ribs or ridges.

3. The husking mechanism consisting of the combination, With a roller provided with a smooth surface, of a` companion roller provided with rope or equivalent material wound closely thereon, substantially as'described.

4. The combination, with the husking-roll-4 ers, of the yielding fingers arranged adjacent to the delivery end of the said rollers in the path of the ears.

5. The combination, with the husking-rollers and their co-operating conveying-chain, of the yielding fingers arranged adjacent to the delivery end of said rollers in the path of the ears.

6. The combination of the picking-rollers,

the co-operating chains adapted toconveyV 

